Squirrelflight sat down at the base of the shimmering pool. She looked to Jayfeather her voice shaking, "Am I really ready to be a leader?"

"What are you talking about? You are more than ready," he murmured pressing his head against her kindly.

She nodded and leaned down but paused and looked back up at him, "I just feel like… I have such a big legacy to live up to, my father's leadership was one of the best, and my mate's reign was- bumpy… but he led the clan well."

She sat up and Jayfeather laid his tail around her shoulders, "All deputies feel this when they need to get their nine lives," he said sympathetically.

"I wonder if I can ever live up to that," tears started falling down her cheek, dripping into the moonpool, making it shine brighter, "I just want to be the best leader I can," she murmured.

"That's all any leader can do, trust your decisions and trust yourself, now take a drink and get this over with, we only have a limited amount of nighttime you know," he finished with a grumble sounding much more like himself.

She nodded and bent down, lapping the cold, still water.